


The Witch and the Warbler

by Mouseferatu



Category: TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Beomgyu is a mystery, Fairy Tale Elements, M/M, Taehyun is a peaceful green witch, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-06-26 17:28:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19773010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mouseferatu/pseuds/Mouseferatu
Summary: Humans are not to be trusted, my child. They hunt us, they starve us out, they betray us. We are merely beasts to them. Stay secret and hidden in the forest. And when you must, flee.





	1. Chapter 1

A soft rustling is all the young witch leaves in his wake as he steps gently along the moss strewn forest floor. His eyes dart over the greenery until he spots what he's looking for: valerian blooms. He bends low, setting his basket down as he deftly plucks the plant from the ground, root and stem. Placing it in his basket, he turns to gather more but freezes when he hears a sound in the distance, growing louder. A dreadful sound: shouting and clanging metal. A single second passes and the witch is already hidden behind a felled tree, calming his breathing to keep quiet as his fingers dig into the dirt, trying to find shelter in the earth.

The sound of crunching branches is getting closer, too close. He shuts his eyes tightly, praying to the spirits that he will remain unseen. He focuses on his silent chanting so intently that he is startled to hear a loud thump from the other side of the decaying evergreen. Eyes widening, he panics. Should he look? _No, of course not. But the guards still sound far away, what if someone is hurt? They're not worth getting killed for. I could save them. I could die_. His thoughts shriek like frightened crows in his mind, but his body decides for him. Slowly he peeps over the rough bark, keeping low.

A man. Young, from the look of it. A trail of blood inking down his face, matting into his blonde hair. Eyes shut in an unintended sleep. _Pity_. He tries to bite it down, but it itches at his fingertips. With the finesse of a woodland sprite, he leaps over the tree, grabbing the body and dragging it to the other side. Pressing the man into the tree hollow, he whispers a veiling spell. He knows it won't work if they're found, but prays it makes the finding harder. 

The incessant yelling of the guards grows deafening and the witch squeezes as close to the wet bark as he can, clutching the unconscious man to his chest. In fear, he forgets to breathe. His chest burns, screaming for air, but he can't risk it. Not now. He can’t be heard. _I can’t be found_.

"Where the hell did that brigand go?" Gruff, and large. _I would lose_ , the witch thinks. 

"He isn't worth enough coin for us to be in the forest at night." Smaller, but somehow more menacing. The witch resists clawing at the knot in his throat. 

A grunt, then a shuffling, and they are moving away, back towards the city. When their curses no longer reach him, he gasps. He drinks the air in hearty gulps, deep and cooling. The weight against his chest reminds him and he looks down to observe the man he has recklessly risked his life for. Soft blonde hair hides the pallor of his skin, a stark contrast to the vivid crimson slowly drying into umber. The witch’s eyes beseech the land for anything that can help and it rewards him with pyrola. Slipping from beneath the man, he gently rests his head on a pillow of moss before dashing over and snatching a handful of the pink petals. He gnashes them between his teeth, quickly turning them to pulp before rubbing the mixture on the man’s wound. _This will get him home. Home?_ Frantic thoughts rush to match the pace of his heart. _He needs care, his wounds look serious. Still, it’s such a risk._ He studies the man’s face, the serenity of it. _He’s really quite handsome._ The witch shakes his head feverishly, hands raking through his dark hair. Then he sighs. 


	2. Chapter 2

Light strikes the blonde’s face in dappled waves, making him stir. He winces, his head pounding ferociously. Gradually he opens his eyes, expecting dark iron bars, a rough floor, a barred door. Instead he finds himself on a bed of soft hay, a clean white sheet pulled lazily over him. He glances right to catch sight of the city guard that is most certainly watching him, but his only companion is a black cat dozing on a hand-woven rug. A bookshelf stretches from the pounded dirt floor to the thatched roof, so crammed with books that they seem to be growing from it like thick ivy. Pushed against the cottage wall is a wide redwood table, cluttered with talismans, dried flowers, jars of herbs, and a myriad of unrecognizable objects. He sweeps his unsteady legs off the bed and stands, bracing himself on the wall as he shuffles towards the table. As he admires the ornate materials, the sunlight glints off of a sterling blade. The dagger is long, the tip sharp, the handle intricately carved with runic symbols. _Perhaps this is my captor’s weapon._ Reverently, he curls his fingers around the hilt and holds it up to catch the light. The metal is cool against his palm, the weight of it perfectly balanced. In the warmth of the cottage, athame blade in hand, he feels as if he is on hallowed ground. 

At that moment, the door creaks open with an eerie whine. The blonde twists, jumping forward. Poised with the knife tip grazing the throat of his captor, he inspects the man before him. Small, not frightening in the least. _Fragile._ Dark brown hair hidden beneath a rich green hood. Bright eyes, wide with bewilderment, staring into his own. The man does not move, simply clutches his basket tightly against his cloak. He swallows, wincing as the sharp blade knicks his skin. The blonde retracts the knife momentarily, spooked by the sight of blood, before hoisting it back in the man’s face. “Why have you brought me here?” 

Silence, and then laughter. A lilting melody escapes the brunette’s lips, his eyes creasing into twinkling crescent moons. The blonde bites his lip, inching the knife closer. “Why are you keeping me here?”

The smaller man’s laugh eases into a soft giggle. “Keeping you? I have no intention of keeping you.”

The words do not finish crossing the witch’s lips before the dagger races towards him. He dodges it effortlessly, the blonde stumbling forward when the blade meets only empty air. Quickly, the witch grabs the man’s wrist, twisting it until the knife clatters harmlessly to the earthen floor. A flurry of mysterious vowels flow from his lips as he holds his arms out wide, catching the blonde who is fast asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The blonde’s eyes blink open, but see nothing. Night pours in the windows, fought off only by the little fire crackling in the hearth. The warm glow casts dancing shadows across the cottage walls. A moment passes before he hears the grinding of stone. He flicks his gaze towards the table and sees his captor’s small frame facing away from him. With a great deal of effort, he sits up, attempting to climb out of the bed. His legs are frozen in place and no amount of struggling can free them, though he tries. He glares at the other man’s back. “Release me!”

“I told you, I have no intention of keeping you,” the witch calls out without turning around. He concentrates on crushing the mixture of seeds, roots, and flowers with his pestle. He hums quietly at his progress as he reaches for a jar of dried calendula marigolds.

The blonde tears at his legs, desperately trying to wretch them free. “If you’re going to kill me, then just do it.”

The grinding stops. A hushed silence swallows the cottage air. Slowly, the witch turns around, his face contorted in a look of horror. “Kill you? You think I’m going to kill you?”

The blonde glares at him, crossing his arms. “Why else would you knock me out and kidnap me?”

The witch laughs while wiping his hands off with a cloth. He grabs the mortar and strides toward the bed.

“Don’t come near me!” The blonde thrashes against the restraining spell fruitlessly. 

“Oh hush, please, and lay down.” The witch slides a small stool in front of the bed and sits, looking at him expectantly.

“Why?” Fear begins to edge out the anger in the blonde’s voice.

The witch reaches two fingers into the mortar and scoops up a portion of the mixture. He leans forward. The blonde leans back, out of reach. The witch sighs. “Why, he asks? Why, why? You are very inquisitive for a man with a head wound.”

The blonde’s mouth drops open. “Head wound? What have you done to me!” 

The witch rolls his eyes, but the hint of a smile does not go unnoticed. “I saved your life. You were being chased by city guards if you’ll recall. You fell and did not wake up, so I hid you and brought you here to rest. Now, if you are satisfied, let me put this salve on you. It will help, I promise.” He leans forward again and this time the blonde does not resist. With a feather touch, he smoothes the salve over the gash on the blonde’s forehead. 

Much to his chagrin, the headache that was echoing in his thoughts starts to recede. “You...you really helped me?” The witch nods. “Why?”

The witch shrugs, placing the mortar on the floor and grabbing a roll of thin gauze. “I would want someone to do the same for me if I ever needed it,” he says as he dresses the man’s wound.

Heat builds on the blonde’s cheeks and he looks away, ashamed. A quiet moment passes between them before the witch stands, turning towards the hearth. He places a large black pot on a hook in the fire, continuing with his evening routine as if there was not a human lying on his bed, in his cottage, in his life. Pretending that he is not completely terrified.

“Does my savior have a name?” the blonde calls out to him after the silence stretches too far. 

The witch freezes, watching the flames dance. _Risky, too risky. I shouldn’t tell him. Why do I wish to tell him? Why him?_ “Taehyun,” he whispers, barely loud enough for the other to hear.

“Thank you, Taehyun. I owe you a great debt. It’s only fair you know my name was well, I suppose. It’s Beomgyu.”

Taehyun nods a few times, words failing him as he pictures all the ways this could end badly. In imprisonment, torture, or death. Stirring the now boiling pot, he tastes the broth gingerly before removing it from the fire. He finds two bowls amidst the disarray of his small kitchen and ladles soup into them. He hands one to Beomgyu, who realizes at that moment how famished he is and takes the bowl thankfully. 

With a flash, the image of a beautiful woman enters Taehyun’s mind. His mother, long black hair twirling in front of her face as she hoists his younger self into her arms. She leans close, whispering in his ear. _Humans are not to be trusted, my child. They hunt us, they starve us out, they betray us. We are merely beasts to them. Stay secret and hidden in the forest. And when you must, flee._ He puts the bowl to his lips and drinks deeply, letting the broth scorch his throat. _Flee_. He glances at the blonde who is eagerly eating, a small trail of liquid messily escaping the corner of his mouth. Taehyun smiles. _No. No more fleeing._


	4. Chapter 4

He doesn't often use the loft, and as such dust hangs in the air sparkling in the morning light. The hastily collected bedding brings an ache between his shoulder blades. He stretches like a cat, arms and legs unfurling then reaching, fingers splayed. He remembers the man asleep in the bed below and smiles to himself. He is used to being alone, a hermit's life, but he has to admit that having company is quite refreshing even if he is not always sure of the proper way to act. After abandoning his earlier suspicions, he can see Beomgyu is gentle and friendly. Warm, even. The smile reaches Taehyun's eyes, as he enjoys the feeling of calm that washes over him. With a soft sigh, he climbs down the small wooden staircase to prepare breakfast. He hums to himself, an old song his mother would sing to him while they were foraging in the woods. He can't help the grin that spreads across his lips. 

That grin dissolves the moment he turns to wake Beomgyu and he is met with only an empty bed. The cottage is by no means large, but Taehyun searches it with his eyes anyway. Nothing. Even the cat is out for it’s morning stroll. _That's it_ , he thinks. _The woods_. Three steps and he’s out the door, turning in circles hoping to catch a flash of blonde among the greens and browns. 

Nothing. No sign of him.

 _No_. Fear clutches his heart. _Not him, please not him..._ His mother's words echo in his mind. _Humans are not to be trusted. Why did I? Has he betrayed me?_ Even as he pushes the thought out of his mind, he is racing back into the cottage. Books tumble to the ground as he snatches up the most treasured and frantically stuffs them into a small leather satchel. He picks up the athame blade from the table, staring at its point for a moment before shoving it into the bag as well. _And when you must, flee_.


	5. Chapter 5

Twigs snap beneath his feet as he walks down the well worn road leading back to the city. Beomgyu worries about the guards that pursued him a day earlier, but he's confident he can slip past their watchful eyes. He always does. Truthfully, there is nowhere else he could go. _I couldn't stay with him. I don't want to, cannot be a burden. I will never be a burden again._ He touches the bandage on his forehead, wincing. The pain has subsided but he knows there are weeks of headaches awaiting him. Guilt pinches his heart for leaving Taehyun without even a farewell, and he swallows the thought with a sigh. The man had been so kind to him, yet Beomgyu had repaid him with only accusations. He deserved nothing, and still Taehyun had offered him so much. Food, healing, a warm bed. These things do not come easily in his life, and he had given them so freely. As much as he longs to rest, to wake amidst the checkered light of the cottage with contentment, in safety, Beomgyu loathes being indebted to another. And so he had ran. He always runs.

He was not yet near the city, so when the sound of voices reaches him he dashes into the underbrush along the side of the road. He cannot risk getting captured again. Shrinking back as silently as the anemone bushes would allow, he waits in fear for the travelers to pass. Two figures round the curve. To his surprise, they are not guards. Instead, they are far more menacing. As their steps approach, he catches snippets of their hushed conversation.

“Are we certain this information is genuine?” A viper’s voice, wicked and dripping with malice.

“As certain as a brook has banks. Calm yourself, it was a trusted source. Have my sources betrayed you before?” This voice is sickly sweet, softness masking an edge of violence.

He does not want to look, is terrified in fact, but still Beomgyu shifts to catch a glimpse of the men through the bush and bramble. The viper is tall, waifish, otherworldly and expressionless. Dark hair curls along his shoulders and he is clad in a navy cloak. An axe hangs from his belt, the sharp edge glinting. The sweet-lipped one is smaller, but no less threatening. His black hood casts darkness across his face, his black stained leather makes him appear as only a shadow in the low forest light. Beomgyu’s eyes widen at the sight of a large bow hanging loose behind the man’s back. He closes his eyes, stills his breathing, and prays that he is hidden well out of sight.

“It isn’t far,” The sweet one murmurs. “Just a bit into the woods and we’ll find the cottage and our bounty.”

 _Cottage? Bounty? Could they mean...?_ He remembers the way Taehyun had confined him to the bed, how easily he had healed his wounds. He stifles a gasp. _Of course, he must be a..._

“It has been a long time since we have had a chance to hunt,” the viper says.

“Yes, and what a playful hunt we shall have.”

The witch hunters continue along the road, strolling languidly as if they are not bound for murder. Beomgyu waits silently until they have disappeared before crawling from his hiding place and picking the burrs off his tunic. His eyes shift right to left, between the city and the forest. Between his home and the witch’s cottage. _Taehyun..._ Guilt claws at his heart. He turns, and with faltering steps, continues towards the city. _Forgive me..._


	6. Chapter 6

_How can I decide what I must leave behind?_ His eyes dart between the items scattered on the redwood table. _Only what is essential._ The witch manages to slip a few more talismans into the satchel before clasping it shut. The bag is swollen to the point of tearing apart, crammed to the brim with as much as he could fit. _It's still too small,_ he thinks sadly. Drawing in a sharp breath, he steals one last look around the cottage he has spent the last seventeen years in. The home where his mother raised him. Her house, now his, soon to be no one's. This is the first time he has had to run, has had to uproot himself the way he pulls cyclamen flowers from the earth. He does not know where he will go besides 'not here', or how far he must travel to find safety. Right now he can only focus on the task at hand: making it out of the forest alive. He walks towards the door, preparing to leave his life behind. As he reaches for the gnarled wooden handle, the witch freezes as it begins to twist all on its own.

The viper sweeps the door open wide and strides into the cottage, his axe poised and hungry. The sweet-lip trails behind him, arrow held tight to it's bow string. Their sharp eyes dissect the interior, noticing the haphazard arrangement of items. “He must have been warned,” the viper growls.

“No matter. He may still be here. We must be thorough,” the sweet-lip murmurs to him, lowering his bow.

Within moments they are smashing everything in sight with reckless abandon. Glass shatters as the viper sweeps the table's contents onto the floor with one long motion. Dried herbs spill from their broken jars and rise like dust into the air. The sweet-lip topples the gigantic bookshelf, laughing gleefully as loose pages dance slowly downward amid the crumpled books.

From his hideaway beneath the bed, Taehyun feels his heart break in his chest. Each item destroyed erases a remnant of his life, his past, of his mother. He cannot stand the sight, yet in a sickening twist of fate his eyes refuse to shut. He watches in pain as the witch hunters kill all that is left of his peace. Quiet tears stream down the witch's face from his wide, scared eyes. He clasps a hand tightly over his mouth to shutter the scream of agony that yearns to escape.

By the end of it the cottage lay in shambles. Still the witch hunters are not satisfied. They have not yet found him, but they suspect the witch is still within the cottage walls. The viper had been terribly close when he smashed the blade of his axe into the thick wood of the bed frame. It had very nearly bit into Taehyun's shoulder, but he had pressed himself as far back as possible, narrowly dodging the blade and broken wood.

A moment of silence stretches into eternity. He cannot see the witch hunters, nor hear the shuffling of their feet, but their presence lingers like a foul air. The sound of deafness falls over the cottage uneasily until the sweet-lip breaks it with a low voice.

“Perhaps he has already escaped into the woods,” he cooes.

Silence, and then, “Ah, yes. The woods. You must be right.”

The sweet-lip clicks his tongue in exasperation. “Such a pity. It really was a lovely cottage.”

With that the hunters walk out the door, shutting it loudly behind them. _Have they gone?_ The gasp strangling in the witch’s throat is released and he can breathe again. _Do they think I am not here?_ Taehyun allows himself a moment of relief. It vanishes at the sound he hears next: a soft, familiar crinkling. He peeks his head from under the crushed remnants of the bed and watches as the scattered parchment pages that litter the floor fall aflame one after another. The fire is already creeping up towards the ceiling. The witch panics, glassy eyes shining in the sickly orange glow. _I must escape!_

He knows he cannot use the door as the hunters will certainly have it barred, if they are not already laid in wait outside. Clutching his precious satchel close to his chest, he climbs the broken bed frame. He quickly unlatches the window’s glass pane and turns to clamber out of it.

As soon as his feet meet solid earth, he prepares to run as fast and as far as his legs will carry him. He feels no pain when the blunt force of a twisted tree branch meets the back of his head, nor does he feel his body fall to the ground in a crumpled heap.

“Now, what have I told you about the importance of finesse?” The sweet-lip smirks at the viper, carefully binding Taehyun’s wrists and ankles with thick rope.


	7. Chapter 7

He walks right up to the city gates, determined to forget the man who had rescued him, but his conscious won't let him walk any further. His thoughts are a whirlwind, but still his feet refuse to step beyond the threshold and into the city. Refused to abandon another person the way he had been. The forest is calling to him, worries of Taehyun gnawing at him, and dread filling his heart. He bites his lip, then turns and walks back towards the forest. 

_A playful hunt.._ He shivers at the thought. He knows those were witch hunters and, after realizing Taehyun was a witch, knows there was only one place they could be going. _His cottage._

⛤

The scent of ash reaches him first, followed quickly by the heat radiating through the trees. Beomgyu's heart drops at the sight of what is left of the witch's cottage. The fire is far from done consuming the walls, but the roof is already entirely gone. Through the broken windows, Beomgyu sees the charred and smoldering interior. It takes all he has not to fall to his knees in despair. 

He pushes the door open with his foot. Broken glass, burnt books, and debris litter the floor of the cottage. With a shock, he looks frantically around. _Where is he?_ He dashes forward, tossing pieces of the broken bed aside, overturning the toppled bookshelf, searching everywhere for the bright-eyed witch. He finds no sign of him. Beomgyu slumps forward on his knees, his hands clawing at his hair and tears brimming in his eyes. _This is my fault.. If only I had warned him, if I had ran to him. If only I had saved him the way he saved me._ Amidst the guilt and heartbreak storming his mind, Beomgyu trails his vision across the cottage remnants. _The product of my cowardice. This is what I deserve, not him.._

His breath hitches when he sees it, not daring to believe his eyes. A small strip of emerald green cloth clings to the splintered window frame. Fearfully he climbs over the shattered bed, stretching to grasp the woolen fabric between his fingers. _His cloak.._ He balls the fabric into his fist. He hoists himself up, careful to avoid splinters, and looks out the window for any indication that the witch might still be alive. A broken tree branch lays off to the side, carelessly discarded, bearing a dull red stain that makes his stomach lurch. A set of footprints, pressed into the thick mud and still wet, snake their way into the forest. With the litheness of a cat, Beomgyu leaps out the small window, landing on the ground with a soft thump. As his eyes trace the footprints into the wooded distance, a single thought reverberates in his mind:

_Taehyun, please hold on. I'm coming to save you.  
_


	8. Chapter 8

_ Where am I?  _ A dull ache reverberates in Taehyun’s head, his vision blurred against the dark of night. Just barely he can make out the glow of a dying fire.  _ My home?  _ he manages to think before slipping back into unconsciousness.

⛤

He doesn’t know how long he’s been knocked out. It’s still dark, though he is not certain that days haven’t passed since he last awoke. The fire is dimmer now, stoked crudely by a small shadow of a man clad in black.  _ The hunters!  _ Desperation builds in Taehyun’s chest and he tries to scream, but finds his voice muffled by a ball of cloth stuffed in his mouth. _ I’ll die, I’ll die, I’ll di _ \- he panics, tears brimming at the edges of his eyes. Inhaling through his nose, he attempts to calm his breathing. He had known that witch hunters were always a threat, but they felt distant, like part of an old wives’ tale.  _ Ironic, given that I’m a witch. I should have known.. _ He curses himself for letting his guard down, for letting Beomgyu in. It didn’t look like the blonde had much money, the handsome reward for turning in a witch surely must have been too enticing for him.  _ Why did I trust a human? Stupid... _

“‘Ey, stop your squirming. The bounty didn’t specify alive,” the viper barks at him. 

“Very true, it did not. Play your cards right, witch, and you may live at least a few more hours,” the sweetlip cooes. 

Taehyun remains still, trying not to move as much as an inch. He knows there is no escaping the noose at this point, but he need not invite the reaper to come quicker. The wet ground beneath him is seeping into his clothes, bringing a shiver with it. He can think of nothing but hexes for the blonde who brought this affliction upon him.

A tickle at his wrist causes him to hitch his breath, coughing against the dense fabric in his mouth. With fearful eyes, he casts a glance at the hunters. The viper glares back at him before standing and walking towards him. He towers over the witch and draws a long knife from his belt. “I told you to quit squirming,” he growls, slipping the blade beneath Taehyun’s chin. 

“Calm yourself,” the sweetlip says, “you know the bounty is higher for live ones.” His words have the softness of suggestion, but the underlying threat is readily apparent.

“Tsk,” he growls, clicking his teeth as he saunters back towards the fire.

Taehyun releases the breath he didn’t know he was holding, his body slumping farther into the dirt.

“You have to be quiet,” a barely audible voice whispers in his ear. He jumps, terrified that a third hunter has joined them. “Don’t move.” 

The strange tinkle returns and Taehyun feels his bonds fall to the ground and his wrists are free. A moment later and the ropes around his ankles are slipped off as well.

“I’m sorry, I cannot remove the gag, they’d be sure to notice. Do not let them know you are untied, okay?”

Taehyun gives the slightest nod. He doesn’t dare turn, to see who the voice belongs to. Instead he stares at the fire, trying not to succumb to the terror gnawing at him. With the softness of a whisper, the man’s footsteps retreat into the woods. Then there is only silence. 

A minute later, he notices a streak of blonde edging it’s way around the campsite.  _ Did he return...to save me?  _ Although he wouldn’t admit it, Taehyun is relieved. Yes, Beomgyu may have betrayed him, but he might not die. The only thing he wants is to survive this night.

A twig snaps. Beomgyu darts behind a tree as the hunters’ sharp gazes flick between the trees surrounding the clearing.  _ No!  _ Instinct takes over and Taehyun starts kicking his feet and choking on his gag. The viper approaches him, menace dripping off his blade. “I thought I told you to be still. I will  **make** you still.” Taehyun’s eyes widen in fear. Perhaps he had not thought this through.. The viper yanks the gag out of his mouth, “Anything to say for yourself, witch?”

His mouth is so dry he can barely talk. “I’ll make you regret crossing me,” he whispers.

At that moment, Beomgyu leaps out from behind the tree. He snatches the sweetlip’s bow and thrusts it over his head, the bowstring cutting into his throat. “Let him go, devils.”

The sweetlip laughs bitterly. “We’ve caught a witch and yet you call us devils.” Despite the smoothness of his voice, his is desperately clawing at the string trying to gain purchase with his fingers. Beomgyu yanks it tighter and the sweetlip yelps. 

A growl gathers in the viper’s throat, turning into a bellow as he watches Beomgyu choke his companion. He turns back to Taehyun and smacks him across the face with the back of his hand. Taehyun can taste the blood on his lips. He swipes his finger across it, pressing the blood onto the skin of the viper as the hunter raises his knife in the air. Before he can plunge the blade into Taehyun’s heart, his arm freezes. His eyes shift from confusion to rage as the viper realizes the witch has cast a spell on him and he can no longer move.

Taehyun scrambles to his feet. “There are no devils, only man.” He spits on the ground beside the viper, kicking him until he falls into the dirt. Frantically, the witch twists around to check on Beomgyu, and he gasps.

The hunter frees himself from the bow, forcing himself backwards until he crashes Beomgyu into a tree. He pins the blonde against the bark, his dagger poised beneath his throat.

“Stop!” Taehyun screams, his voice hoarse.

The sweetlip turns to him and offers him a sickly smile. “I will enjoy watching you suffer.” 

Taking advantage of the distraction, Beomgyu drives his knee into the hunter’s stomach, causing him to double over. “Quickly, the spell!” he shouts to Taehyun, who is frozen in fear. The witch shakes his head to clear his mind, the words tumbling out of his mouth haphazardly. The viper falls rigid and collapses.

Taehyun stares at the hunters lying on the ground, unable to focus on anything. He feels a soft hand slip into his own and glances down to see Beomgyu intertwining their fingers. Looking up, he meets the blonde’s warm gaze. 

“I am so happy I found you alive,” he whispers quietly. “Now, run!”


	9. Chapter 9

“Stop, stop! Please stop,” Taehyun calls breathlessly. Beomgyu stops dead on his heels. They have been running for some time already and the witch’s breath is coming in short, ragged gasps. Slowly, he feels a small squeeze on his palm and looks down to see their hands still clasped tightly. A blush rises to his cheeks, though he isn’t sure if it is due to anger or attraction. Abruptly, he wrenches his hand free. “This is your fault!” he cries, his voice shaky.

Beomgyu’s mouth drops in shock, “My fault? How is this my fault?”

“I should have known better than to trust a human,” Taehyun curses, more to himself than the other. He takes a few steps back and points at Beomgyu accusingly. “Betrayer!”

Heat rushes up Beomgyu’s neck all the way to his ears. “You think I told them?” his tone is quiet, laced with an undercurrent of distress.

“Why else would you have left so early in the morning, and with no warning, except to set those hunters on me? You probably wanted the reward money for yourself, you-you devil! I wish I hadn’t saved you.” Taehyun spins around and crosses his arms across his chest, refusing to even look at the blonde.

Beomgyu takes a few small steps toward him. Hesitantly, he wraps his arms around Taehyun, enveloping the witch’s small frame in his own. He brings his lips to the witch’s ear and whispers, “I owe you my life, Taehyun. I swear on this life which you have saved that I did not betray you.”

His sultry voice sends shivers down Taehyun’s spine. The weight of the past day crashes down on him and he collapses backwards into Beomgyu’s embrace, resting his head on the other’s chest. Tears stream down his face uncontrollably. “I...I thought I was going to die…” he confesses, despair ebbing over him.

Beomgyu clutches the witch closer, bringing his right hand up to stroke Taehyun’s hair. “Shh, it’s okay..” he murmurs softly. “You’re alive. I’ve got you. You’re safe here, with me.”

The witch twists and wraps his arms tightly around the other’s waist. He isn’t sure if he should trust Beomgyu yet, but right now he is in dire need of comfort. And it is true that Beomgyu saved him from the witch hunters. _I would not be alive if it weren’t for him. Though, maybe he just felt guilty…_

Several minutes pass in silence. Taehyun’s tears have ceased, but his hold on Beomgyu is just as strong. With his face pressed into the blonde’s shoulder, he breathes in the man’s scent. _Faint vanilla and...wood smoke?_ Images of his burned cottage flash in his mind and a sob threatens to crash through him again. “It’s gone...my home is gone,” he whispers. Beomgyu steps backward, increasing the distance between them so he can get a better look at the man before him. The witch’s arms trail down to his waist, but do not let go. Instead, he twists the blonde’s tunic in his hands, wanting to hold on to any and every shred of hope he has left.

“What will you do now?” Beomgyu asks, biting his lip. His own eyes fill with tears at the sight of the witch’s sorrow.

Taehyun takes a deep breath, “I will run, and I will keep running until I arrive somewhere far away where I can find some sort of peace.” He sighs, “Witches are used to this. I might not be, but it was only a matter of time before I was found out.” He rests his head on the blonde’s chest. He wants to hate him, knows that he should, but he can’t. In his heart he knows that Beomgyu did not betray him. Despite all his mother’s teaching, he trusts the human. _Maybe it’s not that he’s a human. Maybe it’s that...it’s him._

A patient smile plays on Beomgyu’s features as he gently lifts the witch’s head, cupping his face in his hands. Gazing softly into his eyes, he leans forward and places a light kiss on the witch’s forehead. “I have not repaid you for saving me, and I am not one to leave debts. You are much more gentle than I, even with your magic. You heal more than hurt, I know this firsthand. So if you must run, and I know that you must, then let me accompany you. I will protect you. I will keep you safe, I swear it.”

Taehyun freezes in surprise, mouth agape. His eyes dart between the man’s dark irises, searching desperately although he does not know what for. He shuts his mouth and looks down at the mossy ground beneath his feet, cheeks burning. “You are under no obligation. I did only what I felt was right at the time.”

“Then so will I,” the blonde whispers. He lifts Taehyun’s chin with his finger, meeting the witch’s glittering brown eyes with his own. He bows slightly until their lips meet in a tender kiss. The shock of it stops Taehyun’s heart for only an instant before his lips eagerly greet the other’s.

After too short of a moment, he draws back, breathless. A dreamy smile graces his mouth, completely unbeknownst to him. “What about your ties to the city?” he asks cautiously.

“They are few and easily left.” Beomgyu tries to dodge answering the question in more detail, which only serves to pique the witch’s interest further.

Tilting his head, Taehyun inquires, “You never told me. Why _were_ those guards chasing you through the forest?”

“Ah, that…” Beomgyu laughs nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “I...may have stolen food.”

Taehyun gave him a curious look, “Food? You must have been quite hungry.”

“Well, it was not for me. You see, I am not the most well off, but it wounds my heart to see others less fortunate than myself. Especially children.” He chuckles awkwardly before continuing, his eyes trained on the ground, “there was a young boy resting along the street, he could not have been more than seven. So small, and so famished. My heart broke for him, and so I took to...confiscating an apple here or there. I felt it was my responsibility, and I could not in good conscious eat while he suffered alone. I have been in his place, I have known that hunger.”

This time it is Taehyun who raises the other’s chin, trailing his thumb across the blonde’s cheek. “So that is why.”

“Why?” Beomgyu asks.

The witch pulls him close by the tunic, kissing him with unquestionable affection. “Why my heart trusted you when my head was wailing for me not to. You are an honorable man, Beomgyu.” The blonde gives him a sheepish smile as a deep blush dusts his cheeks.

The sound of barking dogs in the far distance regretfully cuts the moment short. Taehyun glances around warily. “Have they found us?” he asks, terror underlying the calmness in his voice.

“Not yet.” Beomgyu catches Taehyun’s wrist and raises it to his mouth, placing a chaste kiss on the witch’s hand before intertwining their fingers. “And I refuse to let them take what’s precious to me.”

Taehyun smiles as he draws the hood of his cloak over his head, nodding at the blonde. “Then it seems that I am keeping you after all.”

Silently, the pair slip between the trees, disappearing into the evening darkness of the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you have enjoyed my fairytale / fantasy Taegyu au! This one was a lot of fun to write, and I'm very happy with how it turned out! Let me know your thoughts either by commenting or leaving me a curious cat!
> 
> https://curiouscat.me/taegyumin


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